


Flat 2, The Mill, Emmerdale

by SugdenLovesDingle



Series: Robron Week 2018 [6]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Neighbours AU, with a hint of matchmaking sisters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 10:25:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14162796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: robron week day 6: irrealis/AUNeighbours AU





	Flat 2, The Mill, Emmerdale

_“Just give him a chance.”_

_“You know you need a tenant and you don’t want some weirdo living in that other flat.”_

_“I’ll tell him to come round tomorrow morning. Around 10? And you can meet him and decide for yourself.”_

_“Come on mate, I want my house back.”_

Aaron loved his friends but when Vic asked him for a favour a few days ago he’d expected to be needed to help Adam move their new sofa, not rent out the second flat in his house to her brother.

Her brother who was also almost half an hour late.

“Some first impression he’s making…” Aaron muttered and Clyde put his head on his leg to show Aaron his support, and to remind him it was way past the usual time for his morning walk. “I know mate. But we can’t go until that twat shows up or Vic will have a go at me for standing her brother up. And if Vic is angry with me that means no sausage leftovers for you in the pub.”

Clyde let out an unimpressed huff and walked away, laying down by the front door and giving Aaron pleading looks.

“Don’t look at me like that. I can’t help it. We’ll give him five more minutes and then we’ll go.”

Clyde’s head shot up at the word go.

“Yeah you know that word don’t you?” Aaron sighed and glanced at the time on his phone. “Fine. Come on. The twat can wait.” He got up and grabbed his jacket and Clyde’s lead and opened the door. Only to almost walk right into Vic’s brother Robert.

He’d seen him around the village and heard stories from his mum and Cain as well as Andy about the trouble he used to cause as a teenager. Aaron had shrugged at that because the same could be said about him. Vic had insisted he’d calmed down a lot and was a good guy so he figured he could at least give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Hi. Sorry I’m late. Job interview ran late.” Robert explained and extended his hand to Aaron who politely shook it. “I didn’t have a number for you so I couldn’t let you know.”

“Right. Well… my dog needs walking now so you’re going to have to wait for me.”

“Or I could walk with you.” Robert suggested. “We can have a chat and if you think you can stomach me living next door to you, you can show me the place after the walk.”

“Alright. Fair enough.” Aaron said after a minute and started walking, both Clyde and Robert following behind.

“So, what do you want to know about me?” Robert asked a little while later as they walked along the fields surrounding the village. “I suppose Vic has told you a few things.”

“Not really. She said you’re a nice guy and not some weirdo. Adam just told me to let you move in to get you out of their house.”

“Yeah… I have… bad timing. And he doesn’t lock the bathroom door when he’s in the shower.”

Aaron grinned, shy wasn’t a word anyone would use to describe Adam.

“Got to know your brother in law a little too well then?”

“Definitely. Though I suppose it’s better than moving in with Andy and worry about him murdering me in my sleep.”

“I’ve heard some things yeah.”

“Please don’t believe anything coming from Andy.” Robert stressed. “We don’t really get on. Small dating pool, same taste in girls growing up. Fill in the blanks yourself.”

“Don’t worry, if you ask around this village you’ll hear plenty of stories about me causing trouble as a teenager. And my sister Liv following in my footsteps.”

“Oh yeah Vic mentioned your sister lives with you.”

Aaron nodded.

“She’s 16 and a bit of a nightmare.” 

“Little sisters always are. Don’t tell Vic I said that.” Robert said and they both laughed.

“So what brought you back here?” Aaron asked. “Vic mentioned you lived down in London.”

“Break up. Among other things.”

“Should I worry about crazy ex-girlfriends banging down the door in the middle of the night if I let you move in?”

“God no. She hates my guts.”

Aaron gave him a questioning look.

“I slept with her PA. And her sister… though she doesn’t know that… yet.”

“Sisters eh?” Aaron said laughingly. “I’m beginning to think Andy was telling the truth after all.”

Robert shrugged.

“Never said I was innocent.”

Aaron laughed and shook his head.

“Clyde! Come here.” He called out and the dog ran over to him right away. “Have to put him on his lead here or he’ll slip through the fence and annoy the sheep… again. And then mister Henderson will be on my case again threatening to shoot Clyde… it’s a hassle.”

“Good to know I’m not the only trouble maker in the village anymore.” Robert joked and nodded at Clyde. “I’m guessing he’ll be my neighbour too if I move in?”

“Yep. If that’s a problem then this isn’t going to work.”

“No, no, no problem. I don’t mind dogs.” Robert said and bent down to pat Clyde’s side. “My ex had a border collie. Or well, her psychopath of a son did. That dog was the most sane member of the whole family.”

“I think people probably say that about Clyde too.” Aaron joked and waved at an angry looking old man looking at them from behind a window in the farm house they walked past.

“Mr Henderson I take it?”

“Yep. Typical grumpy old man. Hates everyone. Lived here back when the dinosaurs still roamed the earth.”

They kept talking as they slowly made their way back to the village.

Robert told Aaron he’d just gone into business with Jimmy King and that he had a date with Leyla the next day but that he was pretty sure she was only doing it to make Ross jealous and it probably wouldn’t go anywhere.

“What about you? Are you seeing anyone?”

“Nope. Young, free, and single, me. No-one will put up with me for very long.” Aaron replied, not mentioning the fact that his mum and sister had made it their personal mission to set him up with every available gay guy in the country.

“I find it hard to believe the guys aren’t knocking down your door.”

“Yeah, right.” Aaron rolled his eyes.

“What? You’re a good looking guy.” Robert told him. “Though I could do without any lovesick lads beating down my neighbour’s door in the middle of the night.”

“Neighbour? Who says I’ll let you move in?”

“Me. Because I’m desperate and everyone tells me you’re a nice guy.”

“You haven’t even seen the place yet.”

“Did I mention the fact I’m desperate? I’d live in your tool shed if it meant getting out of Vic’s spare room.”

“Just… come on in, I’ll grab the keys and show you the place. If you like it, it’s yours.” Aaron said and Robert followed him inside his own flat.

“Nice place.” He said as he looked around the room. “Great kitchen.”

“Thanks. I don’t use it much to be honest” Aaron admitted. “The other place basically has the same layout. Open plan. Two bedrooms. Just one floor though.”

“That’s fine. I have a feeling I’d fall down those stairs sooner or later if they were in my flat.” Robert said, looking at the spiral staircase.

“Ah you get used to them.” Aaron told him. “Come on, I’ll show you the other flat”

\---

“So what’s this Robert bloke like then?” Liv asked as she and Aaron made their way home with Chinese take-out for tea.

“I don’t know.” Aaron shrugged. “He’s Vic’s brother and he needed a place to live.”

“Yes, I know that… but what is he _like_.”

“I don’t know, Liv. I barely know the guy myself. You’ll find out soon enough, you’re going to be living next door to him.” Aaron said, grabbing his keys from his pocket, only to find the door to the hallway already open, just like the door to Robert’s flat.

“Oh hey, I didn’t realise you were home already. I was just doing some painting in the flat. Need a bit of fresh air… paint fumes, you know.” Robert said, coming out of his flat and nearly running into them.

“It’s fine.” Aaron said quickly. “It’s your house too now. You don’t need permission to paint your own flat.”

“Right, yeah, of course. Uh… do you mind if I put up some things in the hallway? I have a flag I’d like to put up by my door.”

“Go ahead. No problem.”

“Thanks.” Robert smiled and gave Aaron a look that was probably a bit more than just friendliness between neighbours. “Oh by the way, your dog was barking pretty loudly earlier. I don’t think he was very happy about being home alone.”

“Oh for god’s sake, I was gone an hour! Two at most.” Aaron said and opened the door to his own flat and Clyde bounced into the hallway, sniffing the takeout bag in Liv’s hand to try and figure out if it was something he might like.

“That dog is a drama queen.” Liv told Robert. “He’s like that even when we’re gone for 10 minutes.”

“Yeah sorry about that. Clyde, nose out. You’ll get your dinner in a minute.”

“I don’t mind. I just thought I’d mention it. If you need someone to keep an eye on him when you’re away… I don’t start my new job for a few weeks and I’ll be around here to work on the flat anyway…” Robert trailed off.

“That would be great.” Liv said quickly, before Aaron had the chance to turn down the offer. “You know, we have enough food to feed half the village, would you like to join us?”

“Liv!” Aaron glared at his sister. “He’s probably got plans. Don’t feel like you have to say yes. Didn’t you have a hot date with Leyla?”

“Ah no. She cancelled on me. Something came up apparently.” Robert shrugged.

“You don’t exactly seem heartbroken over it.” Liv commented and Aaron fought the urge to put his hand over his sister’s mouth to shut her up.

Robert laughed.

“Nah I’ll live. It’s not like we’re each other’s great love or something. I’m pretty sure she was only using me to make her ex jealous… which probably worked.”

“So you’re free tonight to join us for tea then. It’ll be your moving in party.”

“I’ve not moved in yet, have I?”

“Details.”

“Liv, go feed Clyde. He’s hungry.” Aaron said, in attempt to get his sister away from Robert and save himself from an awkward situation.

“When I get my answer.”

“You’re persistent aren’t you?” Robert laughed. “Thanks for the offer but Diane overheard me getting dumped earlier and insisted I’d come over to hers for tea. Another time though yeah? I could cook… I like to think I’m a pretty decent chef.”

“Oh that’s great! Aaron is a terrible cook.”

“Yes thanks for that Liv.” Aaron sighed and turned to Robert. “You really don’t have to.”

“It’s ok. I like cooking and Vic doesn’t really let me work in her kitchen… and cooking for one isn’t much fun.”

“Alright, if you’re sure…”

“Absolutely. When I’ve got my place sorted we’ll pick a date alright?”

“Yeah alright. Sounds good.”

\----

A month or two passed and both Clyde and Liv seemed to spend more time in Robert’s flat than their own, especially when Liv had discovered Robert was good with numbers and made him her maths tutor. More often than not Aaron would come home to an empty flat, only to find his sister and their dog next door. Robert had even joked about buying a bed and food for Clyde for his second home.

Aaron didn’t mind, he liked Robert, they shared a love for cars and Top Gear as well as trashy reality shows and generally got on well. Maybe a little too well. There’d been a few moments of seemingly innocent touches lasting just a little too long or the two of them having a beer in the garden late at night, sitting a little too close and getting a little too comfortable. There had even been a moment where Aaron had been sure Robert was about to kiss him, only for the other man to get up and declare he was going to bed because of an early start.

And then there was Liv trying to push them together at any given moment. Ever since she’d seen Robert put up the bi pride flag next to his door in the hallway and asked him about it.

_“I spent too long hiding that part of me, I want to show the world I’m proud of who I am now.”_

And yeah Aaron knew what that was like. Though he wasn’t about to put a pride flag on his door.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you.” Aaron heard someone sing and frowned. As far as he knew it was a regular Sunday in April. One that he’d like to use to catch up on some sleep instead of… whatever was going on outside his door.

He stumbled to his bedroom window but didn’t see anything so he decided to throw on some clothes and go downstairs to see what was happening.

“Happy birthday!” Someone said again and Aaron heard party poppers being popped. “Blow out the candle and make a wish!”

Aaron opened the door at that moment and saw Robert standing in the hallway in a t-shirt and his boxers, looking like he’d just been dragged out of bed.

“Come on Vic, I just woke up and you’re waking up the whole village.:”

“It’s your birthday. The first one since you came back. We have to celebrate.” Vic insisted, holding a chocolate cake with a few candles on it. “Blow out the candles and make a wish.” She insisted.

“Did we wake you up mate?” Adam asked when he noticed Aaron standing in the doorway to his own flat.

“Uh yeah... sort of.”

“Sorry Aaron but this one thought we would let his birthday go by without a party just because he has his own place now.” Vic said, sounding not at all sorry for waking him up. “He was just about to blow out the candles and make a wish, weren’t you Rob?”

Robert raised an eyebrow but did as he was told and blew out the candles, holding Aaron’s gaze while he made his wish.

“What did you wish for?” Adam asked.

“Can’t tell you, can I? Won’t come true if I do.”

\-----

“Everybody calm down, the chef has arrived.” Robert joked as Liv let him into the flat.

It had been a week since that morning in the hallway and with a little pushing from Liv they’d finally picked tonight as the night Robert would come over and cook for them.

And he looked effortlessly gorgeous in his white shirt and jeans.

It made Aaron want to run back upstairs and change his outfit for the 5th time that afternoon.

“I can’t stay though.” Liv said, sounding far more innocent than she was. “Gabby just broke up with her boyfriend and we’re going to the cinema together to make her forget about him.” She said and all but ran out the door.

“Oh alright. So it’s just you and me then?” Robert asked Aaron.

“Uh yeah… and Clyde.” He said, nodding to the dog looking expectantly up at Robert.

“Don’t worry mate, I haven’t forgotten about you. I have something in my bag for you.” Robert said, scratching Clyde behind his ears and putting his bag of supplies on the kitchen counter before turning to Aaron. “I know I said I’d cook for you but in my kitchen everyone who wants to eat helps prepare the food.”

Aaron wanted to make a joke about it not being his kitchen but instead let Robert put him to work and show him different techniques for slicing vegetables.

“So the love for cooking is a Sugden thing eh?” Aaron asked as Robert put the finishing touches to the sauce. “You and Vic both.”

“Yeah I suppose so. My mum loved to cook and I sort of got it from her. My dad always said I had to be a real man and then my mum would say even real men had to eat and should know how to take care of themselves.”

“She’s right. I really am a terrible cook. I always used to order food in the pub. There are a few things I can make now and we mostly stick to that. Liv is a better cook than me but she hates it.”

“So you two keep every pizza place in the area in business?”

“It’s not always pizza.” Aaron muttered

Robert laughed.

“I can give you the recipe for this. For when you get sick of pizza.”

“Thanks.” Aaron said and took a sip from his glass of wine.

Robert had brought a bottle, saying it went well with the food and Aaron hadn’t had the heart to tell him he preferred a beer. So he drank it. And it wasn’t so bad after all.

“Here, taste this.” Robert said, holding a spoon of sauce in front of Aaron’s mouth. “Tell me what you think.”

Aaron let the other man feed him some sauce and groaned and closed his eyes for a second at the taste.

“Well?” Robert was looking at him expectantly.

“It’s delicious.” 

“Good answer. I wasn’t sure if you were a dessert kind of guy, so I just brought some cake. Everyone likes chocolate cake right?”

“Uh yeah, sure, cake is fine.”

“It’s actually some of my birthday cake. I froze 2 pieces. For you and Liv… but since Liv is out… we could eat it together?” Robert suggested.

“Sounds good to me.”

Robert smiled and served up their food. It really was the best meal Aaron had had in a long time, which he told Robert who only smiled wider at the compliment.

“Ready for dessert?”

“Yeah but if it’s your birthday cake, we have to do it properly.” Aaron said, getting up from the table and digging through some drawers. “Found it.”

He put the two pieces of cake on plates and stuck two sparklers from the packet he found in Robert’s piece and lit them.

“I know it’s not a proper candle like Vic got you… and you can’t exactly blow these out… but it’s the thought that counts, right?” Aaron said, putting Robert’s slice in front of him and watched them burn out. “Make a wish.”

Robert closed his eyes and folded his hands like he was praying, the smile on his face never fading.

“Done.” He said when he opened his eyes again.

“What did you wish for?”

“Same thing as last week. It hasn’t happened yet though.”

“No? Maybe you should help fate a little. Say it out loud.”

“I wished… for the person I like… to like me back and give me a birthday kiss.” Robert said, eyes never leaving Aaron’s.

Aaron smiled and moved his chair closer to Robert and kissed him.

“Happy birthday, Robert.”


End file.
